You won't believe these Pa. histories

Ready for a tour of some places in Pennsylvania with funny names and interesting histories?

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Posted Apr. 1, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Posted Apr. 1, 2013 at 12:01 AM

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Ready for a tour of some places in Pennsylvania with funny names and interesting histories?

Let's begin in King of Prussia, off Route 476.

When the French Emperor Napoleon sent an invading force to Prussia in 1803, King Frederick William's family went into exile. His son relocated just outside of Philadelphia so he could enlist the help of Quakers to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict and regain the throne.

Though he was unsuccessful, where he lived was named King of Prussia as a tribute to his cause and an insult to the French.

Now let's go north to Moscow, off Route 33. This place got its name when Vladimir Lenin led the 1917 Communist revolution in Russia, causing capitalists to flee the country. A group of them boarded an ocean liner from Moscow to the Chesapeake Bay and then made their way to the Poconos, where they then settled and named the community after their beloved Russian capital.

Now let's go west to Jersey Shore, off Interstate 80. It received its name because it looks like "The Shore," even though it's located in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Founded next to the Susquehanna River, Jersey Shore features a small boardwalk on a narrow strip of sand, plus a modest pier with bumper cars, a few concession stands and a mini-roller coaster.

Next let's go south to Intercourse, off Route 340 in Lancaster County. The naming can be traced back to Amish folklore.

According to legend, two young Amish lovers were secretly courting each other, because they didn't have permission from their elders. When a Conestoga wagon train bound for California came upon the young couple fornicating in a corn field, the pioneers gave this place its unusual name.

Finally, let's go east to Blue Ball, also in Lancaster County. The villagers living here found the behavior of the previously mentioned couple to be so reprehensible, they gave their town a name to send a vivid message that sex before marriage can result in unpredictable consequences. Hence this town's objectionable imagery.

Now that our tour is complete, what can we say is the main theme that emerges from the histories of these funny places in Pennsylvania?

It's April. It's the 1st. And this is foolish.

Rob McKenzie is a professor of communication studies at East Stroudsburg University